Mom Pays Kids to Read Chapter Books. Brilliant or Bribery?

"We want them all to have that hobby for life. Our kids are very motivated by money, and they don't get paid for doing their chores. Offering $5 per book really got them over the hump of reading a longer chapter book from beginning to end. And as accountants, Teran and her husband are happy to teach their kids about money."

"Chapter books are not necessarily better than graphic novels, according to reading experts. In fact, bestselling author, reading specialist and educational therapist Kami Garcia celebrates the power of graphic novels. Seeing images in graphic novels help kids develop empathy, build comprehension and level the academic playing field."

"It's ideal to expose young readers to a variety of genres and formats, including both chapter books and graphic novels, but the most important thing is to help them develop a love of reading for pleasure."

Teran and Carson Sands implemented a $5-per-chapter-book payment system to encourage their three children to read longer texts. Their oldest daughter initially preferred graphic novels and resisted reading multi-paragraph pages, which concerned them as she entered fourth grade. The financial incentive proved effective in motivating their money-driven children to complete chapter books. While reading experts acknowledge that graphic novels offer legitimate educational benefits including empathy development and comprehension building, they emphasize the importance of exposing children to various reading formats. The primary goal remains fostering a lifelong love of reading for pleasure, which the payment system successfully achieved for this family.

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